


Tim Drake: Demon Hunter

by meyari



Series: Tim Drake: Demon Hunter [1]
Category: DCU - Comicverse
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Buddhism, Demonic Possession, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-23
Updated: 2013-06-23
Packaged: 2017-12-15 23:20:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/855146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/meyari/pseuds/meyari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Tim Drake was seven, he received a present from his parents: A tiny gold Bodhisattva figure. He loved it because they gave it to him but when he was ten it became much more. After a near-death experience the Bodhisattva figure opened up a whole new world for Tim, one where he had the potential to right wrongs, save people and banish demons that caused the world pain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tim Drake: Demon Hunter

_"Stupid brat, what're you doing here?"_

_"G-Get out! This is our house and those are our things!"_

_"Oh good one, kid, use a statue to attack the guy with a gun. Doesn't matter. Pretty obvious no one gives a damn about you. You're home alone. They probably won't even mourn your death."_

_"Put that down...!"_

_"What the hell?"_

_..._

_"Wh-what... happened?"_

Tim blinked awake from the familiar dream, staring at the image of his Bodhisattva. The tattoo was so much a part of him that no one questioned it. His parents hadn't noticed the addition when they got home from their trip after the incident when he was ten. Mrs. Mac seemed to think he'd always had the mark, that it was a birthmark. A few teachers at school had seemed to peer at it but their eyes always went blank and unconcerned after a few moments.

"Good morning, Taishakuten," Tim murmured as he rubbed his fingers of the tattoo.

A warm feeling filled him, wiping away the memories of the dream and Tim's near-death incident. He smiled and got up, making his bed before going through a series of yoga stretches to wake up. A series of quick sun salutes had his heart beating fast enough that he started sweating, which was just about perfect for his morning run. A quick brush through his hair before putting it in a ponytail and Tim was ready to start.

"Morning, Tim!" Mrs. Mac called as Tim ran down the stairs and over to the back door. "Going to go visit Jason, are you?"

"Mrs. Mac!" Tim groaned as he tugged on his running shoes. "I'm just going for a run."

"Mm-hmm, well, tell Alfred that I tried that cookie recipe of his. Turned out wonderful."

"Yes ma'am!" Tim said automatically only the stumble and sigh as Mrs. Mac laughed.

He shook his head at her amusement and approval but didn't say anything else. There wasn't much point. After all, Tim was the one who'd given her the idea that he had a crush on Jason in the first place. It made a convenient excuse for the amount of time he spent at Wayne Manor.

The path between Tim's parent's house and Wayne Manor was well beaten. The last three years had given Tim many opportunities to run back and forth. There was far too much to do at the Manor, so much that Tim sometimes thought he'd spend the rest of his life dispelling the evil that resided inside it but he didn't really care how long it took.

"Good Morning, Master Timothy," Alfred said when Tim arrived at the kitchen. "I trust you will be staying for breakfast after your work."

"Absolutely, Alfred, thank you," Tim said, smiling as he pulled off his muddy running shoes and switched to the slippers Alfred kept by the door for him. "Are the others awake yet?"

"Mistress Cassandra is awake, I believe," Alfred said. "Master Bruce and Dick had very late lights. I do not expect them before lunch. Master Jason has not yet been to bed that I am aware of."

"He really needs to get a more regular sleep schedule," Tim sighed along with Alfred. "All right. I'm going to go work on the portraits in the long hallway, Alfred. If any of them are destroyed I'll take them down and put them in the restoration room for you."

"No need, Master Timothy," Alfred said though he graciously nodded his thanks because they both knew that Tim would do it anyway. "Do call if you need anything."

Cass was already in the long hallway, staring at the portraits as if she expected them to attack her. Her fierce frown made Tim smile as he approached, not because he thought she was wrong but because she simply couldn't see the way the entities inside the portraits actually were attacking her. She smiled when she saw him, gesturing at a fierce portrait of one of Bruce's great-great-uncles.

"Actually, no," Tim said wryly was Cass huffed. "That one's not possessed. The one behind you is. Let me purify you, okay? It's already trying to affect your spine."

He was never sure how much Cass actually understood of what he said but she always followed his orders. She stood still as he pulled out his little phurba, the tiny gold ceremonial dagger barely as long as the palm of his hand. Every time he pulled it out she stiffened but the three edges on the blade were dull and while the tip was sharp the metal was too soft to penetrate skin.

A low-voiced chant that Taishakuten had taught him in his dreams and a quick thrust at the threads of evil intent coming from the portrait had Cass freed and the entity within the portrait screaming on a level that only he could hear. He moved to stand between Cass and the portrait, chanting louder to drown out the evil language and foul intent of the entity. Tim could feel Taishakuten move inside of him, calling on his power to protect the world from evil of all varieties. It would have been better to have a khakkahara with six rings but Tim hadn't earned the right to use one yet.

"Begone!" Tim ordered, stabbing at the portrait with his phurba.

Light erupted around the tip of the phurba, engulfing the portrait as the entity was driven forth towards a rebirth in another life where it would have another chance at Nirvana. Tim was never sure whether other people saw the same light he did. Some people saw nothing. Others saw rainbows of light. The few mages he'd spoken to had been so intimidated by Tim that they'd left as soon as they could.

When the light faded the portrait was ruined, the paint peeling and the canvas warped. Tim sighed and moved to take it down, only to find Jason already there. He smelled of cigarette smoke and alcohol, telling Tim where he'd been all night.

"You should sleep later," Jason commented as he lifted the portrait free and then winced at the pentagram staining the wall underneath.

"You should get more sleep, period," Tim said, gesturing for both Cass and Jason to move out of the way. "Let me take care of this."

"Yeah," Jason said.

His smile was sad and tired, full of regret for all the things he'd lost over the years of being Robin. But there was gratitude in his eyes and Tim could feel that there was no blame in his heart. It took three more chants before the pentagram burned away like smoke in a strong wind. The wall underneath was unscarred, meaning Alfred would be able to hang something else in the portrait's place later today.

"You're sweating," Jason commented as Tim wiped his brow on his sleeve.

"That was a tough one," Tim said. "Breakfast? Or is it dinner for you?"

"Fuck you, I ate before I went out," Jason grumbled. "But yeah, breakfast would be good."

Cass helped Tim carry the portrait down the hallway to the room full of art pieces that needed restoration after Tim's purification efforts had damaged them. Jason didn't comment, didn't say anything, but Tim could feel the regret filling his heart. He patted Jason's arm comfortingly as they headed for the kitchen and Alfred.

"Shouldn't have gone," Jason sighed.

His limp was especially bad this morning which said things about how long it had been since he'd slept and perhaps about how much he'd drunk over the night. Tim had done his best to save Jason and Bruce from the demon possessing the Joker but he hadn't gotten to Jason fast enough. The damage inflicted on Jason had taken him out of the fight and into the background as support for the other Bats.

"She was your birth mother," Tim said, smiling as Cass hugged Jason and ended up supporting him. "I understand why you did it. I always did."

"Still shouldn't have gone without my trained demon hunter," Jason said as he poked Tim in the shoulder.

Tim laughed and shrugged. What was done was done. There was no undoing it. In another year or so he was pretty sure that Jason would be back out on the streets fighting crime with Batman, Nightwing, Spoiler and Batgirl. He just had to be patient and wait for his body to heal.

To Tim's surprise Spoiler was in the kitchen, her purple face mask off and her hood pushed back. She grinned at Tim, glared at Jason and squealed when she saw Cass. The squeal had Cass giggling as Spoiler, Steph, hugged Cass and lifted her right off her feet.

"You already tired?" Steph asked Tim.

"The portrait was a tough one," Tim said, shrugging. "It had a pentagram hidden underneath it that strengthened it."

"Whatever," Steph said. "I don't get all your hocus-pocus stuff. I just hit people and crack skulls."

"And make bacon that smells really good," Tim agreed, eyeing the breakfast that she and Alfred were preparing.

"Does that mean you'll actually eat some?" Steph asked with enough excitement that Cass and Jason started snickering.

"No," Tim said, laughing when Steph groaned. "Vegan, Steph. No bacon for me. But it does smell really good. I think you're trying to seduce me away from my diet."

"You betcha, buster!"

Tim laughed harder, ducking from Steph's spatula. Breakfast was full of banter and laughter. By the time they were finished Tim felt good enough to go back and work on some more of the portraits. He got three more purified, this time without destroying them or the wall, by the time Dick wandered into the hallway, rubbing his eyes and combing his fingers through his hair.

"How long are you staying, Timmers?" Dick asked.

"I should head home before dinner," Tim said. He chuckled at the way Dick's hair stuck up in all directions. "My parents will be home tonight."

"Where from this time?" Dick asked as he draped himself over Tim's shoulders.

He felt of pain and loss, of missed chances and broken hearts so Tim whispered a little purification prayer as he patted Dick's hand. A handful of seconds passed before Dick yawned widely and stood up straight. From the look in his eyes he knew that Tim had helped but Dick was so profoundly Christian that they never talked about it.

"Lunch?" Tim asked.

"Sounds great," Dick said. "Come on! We gotta get there first or the others will eat everything!"

"Dick!" Tim laughed.

Dick laughed too, pulling Tim along by his wrist, the other wrist from Taishakuten's mark. Bruce was there already, sipping coffee and looking just as worn down as Dick had been. Tim tugged his wrist free and went to hug Bruce. The hollow inside of Bruce where the demon Bat had lived picked up pain and loss far too easily so Tim made a point of hugging and purifying Bruce at every opportunity.

"Thank you, Tim," Bruce said as he patted Tim's back. His eyes looked much clearer once Tim let go.

Taishakuten hummed inside of Tim, filling him with warmth and light. Tim didn't let it show. Instead he asked Bruce and Dick about their night, the challenges they'd faced. As expected, Dick opened up first, telling Tim about the little girl they'd failed to save from a gunman. Steph and Cass arrived about the time Dick started sniffling. They hugged him tightly while Jason stood with one hand on Bruce's shoulder.

"Do you think you could...?" Dick asked as Alfred laid their lunches in front of them.

"Of course," Tim said, touched that for once it was Dick asking him to pray for the souls who had been lost as well as the souls of those who had been left behind. "You never have worry about asking, Dick. I'm always glad to help."

Peace settled over Tim as he clapped his hands twice and then bowed his head for an old Tibetan prayer for the death, the living and everything between. He could see Steph holding her breath from the corner of his eye. Cass was watching curiously. Jason and Dick looked as if they weren't sure that anything would happen.

And Bruce bowed his head, mouthing the words along with Tim.

The light that spread through the room this time was soft, like a cloud slowly drifting away from the sun. They all sat straighter, breathed more easily, as Tim clapped once more and then nodded. His exhaustion was right and proper. Lightening the burden for Gotham's protectors, saving them from the evil that had gathered in Wayne Manor, was a job that Tim enjoyed. One that he prized.

Just as he'd driven out the demon that had possessed the Joker's dead body, Tim would drive out all the ghosts and demons that haunted Bruce and his family. When he was older, full grown, and Wayne Manor had been fully purified Tim would move on to find other places and people in need of aid but for now Gotham's protectors needed him.

"Thank you for everything," Tim murmured before he started eating.

Alfred smiled as if it was for him. Bruce nodded his thanks back. Jason smirked. Steph snorted. Dick looked grateful but mildly uncomfortable. Cass patted his hand.

Taishakuten hummed inside of Tim, grateful that he had a host who shared his goal of protecting the world from evil. Come what may, neither of them would be alone as they hunted the demons that hurt mankind.

The End


End file.
